Egg-cleaning machine



Jan. 24, 1928.

M. KASSER EGG CLEANING MACHINE Filed July 24. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 [20872301 6 Mar/7s A? Wfionzey Jan. 24, 1928.

M. KASSER EGG CLEANING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 F5 3 Filed July 24. 1926 fl/arm s Kisser by 7/4 40 Altar/my Patented Jan. 24,1928.

UNITED STATES mortars xassna, or SAN FRANCISCO, cam-roman.

EGG-CLEANIN MACHINE.

I Application filed July 24,

This invention relates to the cleaning of eggs, and more articularly to'machinery by the aid of which the eggs can be safely cleaned or washed.

It is a matter of common observation that may eggs, as taken from the nests,are soiled, and in such condition have a much reduced marketable value. Hence it happens that an economical method of cleaning such eggs is highly desirable; and it is one of the objects of my invention to provide a machine whereby such an operation can be practiced in a simple and inexpensive manner.

Various cleaning and washing machines have been proposed, but these usually have disadvantages; either the egg is not thoroughly cleaned, or else a large percentage of eggs passing through the machine is broken, entailing large. losses. It is thus another object of my invention to provide an apparatus that is not only harmless as regards injury to the eggs, but also provides a thorough cleaning therefor.

In my invention, use is made of a scouring device that is mechanically moved to act on the egg surface; Such a device may be a brush constructed from appropriate material, such as vegetable or animal fibers. In this arrangement, itis another object of my invention to make it possible to pass the eggs through the machine and past the scouring device simply by the aid of gravityand without the necessity of providing a conveyor for this purpose.

My invention possesses many other advantages, and has other objects which may be made more easily apparent from a consideration of several embodiments of my invention. For this purpose I have shown a few forms in the drawings accompanying and forming part of the present specification. Ishall now proceed to describe these forms in detail, which illustrate the general principles of my invention; but it is to be understood that this detailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, since the scope of my invention is best defined by the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevation, mainly diagrammatic, of one form of egg cleaner embodying my invention;

Fig. 2' is a sectional view, taken along plane 2--2 of Fig. 1;

1926. Serial No. 124,069.

Fig. 3 is an elevation, mainly diagrammatic, of a modification; v Fig. 4 is a sectional View, taken along plane 44 of Fig. 3; and

- Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view,.partly in vertical section, of the apparatus shown in Fig. 3. 1

In order to clean an egg, first the-egg is treated with a substance that loosens the dirt or dissolves it, such as a lime solvent. This treatment may be accomplished by dipping or spraying the egg. The removal of "the dirt can be accomplished by vigorously rubbing the shell while it still carries the substance; and this rubbing can be prolonged sufiiciently to dry the egg thoroughly. The rubbing and subsequent drying is accomplished by the aid of my invention in a neat and expeditious manner. For this purpose,

I show in Figs. 1 and 2, a scheme-incorporating one or more round brushes 11 and 12, serving as the rubbing or scouring medium,

and which are mounted for rotation on an axis that departs considerably from the horizontaL- In the present instance, the brushes 11 and 12 are mounted on vertical shafts 13 and 14 journaled in a frame 15, which is shown merely diagrammatically. This frame serves substantially as the entire support for the mechanism. The brushes 11 and 12 have preferably long. pliable bristles, such for example as vegetable fibres; but of course varying forms and materials of bristles can e used. The bristles can be secured on cores I 16 and 17, fastened to the shafts 13 and 14. I

The drive for the brushes can be accomnected to any convenient source of motion, as for example, an electric motor. The gearing. 18 connects both shafts so that brushes 11 and 12-rotate in opposite directions, as in- 'plished bythe aid of the gearing 18, coni dicated by arrows 22 and 23. The brushes 11 and 12 can be rotated at any convenient 1 speed; a wide range is permissible, as for example from one or two hundred revolutions per minute to several thousand. The arrangement is such that an egg 24 can be passed by gravity along the length of the brushes and adjacent their meeting point.-

It is evident that for the position shown. the egg 24 would be thrust outwardly from the brushes due to their directions of rotation;

and in order to hold the egg 24 against outward movement and to serve as a guide, a

a pair of spaced rods 25 and 26 is provided,

substantially parallelin the line of movement of the eg 24. apart just sufficiently to prevent the passage of the egg 24 between them and are preferably spread slightly toward the discharge end, so as to facilitate the action of gravity to brin the egg down by leaving an increasingy large space or the egg to drop through.

It is also to be noticed that the rods and 26 are close enough to the brushes 11 and 12 that the egg 24 is in the pdth of the bristles. If no further precautions were taken, it is obvious that the egg 24 would simply slide by gravity along rods 25 and 26, and a portion only of its surface would be scoured or rubbed. In order to turn the egg 24 as it travels downwardly, I rovide an arrangement whereby one of the crushes acts as a source of motion. For this purpose, the eg 24 is arranged to be influenced by the bristles of brush 12 more than by those of brush 11, as for example, by guiding the egg 24 nearer the axis of brush 12. This can be done by an unsymmetrical arrangement of rods 25 and 26, the rod '25 being closer to the brushes and to their meeting line than rod 26. But obviously, other forms of guides that serve to hold egg 24 nearer to the bristles of one brush would accomplish this purpose.

It is evident that, as viewed in Fig. 2, egg 24 will be rotated by friction of the bristles of brush 12 in a clockwise direction. Thus the egg surface is evenly cleaned. The guides 25 and 26 can be arranged to be freely rotatable about their axes so as to provide a rollin contact between them and the egg;

or else t ey can be made from polished material, such as glass, which introduces little friction against the rotation of the egg, and his the further advantage of not marking t e e It as been found that an egg deposited at the top of the brushes between them and the guides 25 and 26, takes a short time totravel by'gravity to the bottom, the bristles having a restraining action. When the egg reaches the bottom, it falls on a slantin chute 28, leading to a resilient deliver 29. The eg s, after treatment wit the cleansing me um, can bepassed in rapid succession to the machine by hand and the same operator can remove them rom pad 29. The rubbing action of the brushes not only assists the medium to cleanse the egg but also, in the latter part of the travel 0% the egg, to wipe it dry. The resilience of the bristles of course revents injury to the eggs. Since the brus es 11 and 12 are rotating usually at a relatively hi h s eed, the moisture thus collected on the bri'st es is thrown oil by centrifu 1 force, and the bristles are thus maintained indefinitely in he rods are spaced,

while the upper egg proper working condition. The axial length of the brushes, as well as the s eed of rotation, is chosen such that this rying when can take place even when feeding eggs to the machine at a rapid rate.

It may sometimes happen that with the arrangement as thus far described, the ti s of the eggs may not be so thorough y brushed as the other surfaces. To clean the tips. therefore, I arrange a supplementary brush 30, spaced from one of the others, as 12, and mounted on the same shaft. An egg 27 can be passed in an upright position, by

hand between the brushes 12 and 30 before hus In the modification of Figs. 3, 4, and 5, the

arrangement of brushes 33 and 34 and their drive are substantially similar to that shown in Figs. 1 and 2. However, I obviate in this form, the necessity of a separate tip cleaning brush, such as 30 of Fig. 1. This is accomplished by the slanting bristles 35 (Fig. 5) for both brushes, whereby these bristles reach the tips of the eg s. Furthermore, a loading chute 36' is in icated through which the eggs can be dropped by han p In this modification, provision is also made to retain the eggs for a short time in the brushes. For this purpose, one or more projections 37 are provided, arranged to form a temporary seat for the eggs as they travel through the machine. These projections enter between the guide rods 38 and 39, as clearly shown in Fig. 4, but may be removed therefrom, as by rotating 8. support 40 to which the projections are fastened. This supporting bar 40 is journaled conveniently in the supporting frame 41, through which at the upper end the bar 40 extends. A handle 42 for manual manipulation of the seating projections 37 is formed on the bar This handle is arranged to extend over the opening of chute 36. Every time an egg 1sv to be dropped through the chute, the handle 42 must be turned out of way, and after the egg is dropped, the handle is returned to the position shown. This turnmg serves to re ease whatever e gs may be on projections 37; that egg 'whic is on the lower projection passes out of the machine, gradually. comes to rest on the lower pro ection 37. In the meanrovision of upward lbs while, the newly deposited egtravels to the upper rest or projection 37. 0th eggs stay stationary until still another egg is deposited as before. In this manner, a period of dwell' is secured that ensures a sufiiciently long interval of rubbing or scouring of the eggs. g

It is evident that I have provided a simple and eflicient egg cleaning device, that can readily take varying sizes of eggs without danger of injury to any.

I claim: 1. In a machine for treatin eggs, a r0.- tatable scouring and dryin evice, and a guide substantially paralleling the axis of rotation for permitting an egg to traverse 4;. In a machine for treating eggs, a re tatable brushing device having. an axis departing considerably from the horizontal, and means arranged to hold anegg adjacent the device but to permit it to descend by gravity in a'path parallel with said axis, said means permitting rolling of the egg thereon.

5. Ina machine for treating eggs, a rotatable brushing device having an axis de parting considerably from the horizontal, and a pair of round rods substantially parallel to the brushing surface and forming a guide for .an egg during .its gravital descent alon the brushing device, said rods permittmg rollin of the egg thereon.

6. In a mac ine for treating eggs, a rotatable brushin device, and a pair of round rods substantia ly parallel to the brushing surface, and forming a said rods being so spaced from'the device that an egg, confined thereby is given a rolling motion by the device.

. Ina machine for treating eggs, a pair.

of rotatable brushing devices having ad acent brushing surfaces, means for rot-atin them in opposite directions, and a pair 0 revolvable rods for confining an egg between the devices, said rods permitting rolling of the egg thereon.

of rotatable brushing devices having a 1a.-

cent brushing surfaces that depart consider ably from'the horizontal, means for rotating them in opposite direction, and 'a pair 0 rods for confining an eg between the de-" vices, sudrodsbeingso-arrangedthat,

against such movement.

t hr treating eggs, a ro-' ide for an egg,

amachine for treating eggs, a air brush acts more strongly than the other, to cause the egg to roll on the rods.

9. In a machine for treating eggs, a pair of rotatable brushes having adjacent brushing surfaces, means for rotating the brushes in opposite directions so that at that locality where. the brushes are closest together, they serve to move an egg away, and a pair of rods forming a gu1de to confine the egg 10. In a machine for treating eggs, a pair of rotatable brushes having adjacent brushs ing surfaces. means 'for rotating the brushes in opposite directions so that at that locality where-the brushes are closest together, they serve to move an egg away, and a pair of egg t e rods forming a guide 'to confine the against such movement, the spacing of rods being such that one of the brushes serves to roll the egg on the guides.

9f rotatable brushes having adjacent brushing surfaces, these surfaces departing conslderably from a'horizontal direction, means for rotating the brushes in opposite direc-' tions so that at that locality where the tions so that 'at that locality where the 11. In a machine for treating eggs, apair brushes are closest together, they serve to fing surfaces, these surfaces departing con-- siderably from a. horizontal direction, means; .for rotating the brushes. in opposite direcbrushes are closest together, they serve to move an e g away, and a pair of rods forming agui e to confine the egg against such .movement, the spacing of therods bein such that one ofthe brushes serves to r0 theeggon the guides.

13. In a machine for treatingeggs, a rotatable' brush having non-radial bristles, and

'a guide for guiding an egg past the bristles in a direction substantially parallel to the exterior brush surface.

14. The machine as claimed in claim 13, with the limitation that thebrush axis departs considerably from the horizontal,

whereby the egg can progress past'the bristles b gravity, and that the bristles are "slante upwardly on the brush. I

15. Ina machine for treating eggs, a pair of contacting rotatable brushing devices, an a guide placed between the devices where theycontact to prevent an egg from being fed between the devices.

acted upon,

16. In a machine for treating eggs, 1;, pair ofcontacting rotatable brushes, the contacting locality being substantially vertical,

means for rotating the brushes in'ogposite' directions whereby atone side, the rushes tend to movean inward} between them, andarodformmg-agmebetweenthe brushes for preventing the egg from entering between the brushes.

17. In a machine for treating eggs, a rotatable brushing device having a substantially vertical axis, a guide for permitting an egg to pass by gravity adjacent said device, and means for temporarily hindering the progress of the egg on the guide.

18. In a machine for treating eggs, a rotatable brushing device having a substan-- tially vertical axis, a guide for guiding the gravital descent of an e g past the device, and a movable stop for the egg arranged to hinder its descent temporaril 19. In a machine for treating eggs, a pair my hand.

of rotatable brushes having adjacent round surfaces substantially vertical, a guide for confining an egg between said round sur faces, and to guide the descent of the g between the round surfaces, a chute for e positing the egg between the guide and the rushes, one or more vertically spaced rests for the egg as it descends, a movable support for the rests, and means carried by the support for preventing the insertion of an egg in the chute while the rests are in active position.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set MORRIS KASSER. 

